I scan the football field at the end of every play checking to make sure my kid is on his feet. Nothing prepared me for the moment I realized my child was still laying on the field injured. My heart sunk. Our 13-year-old wasn’t laying for long before cautiously sitting up. A coach was out there quickly, and B walked off the field unassisted. But pain was plastered on his face.

Every inch of my momness wanted to walk onto that field, but all I could think of was a conversation B and I had after a player was severely injured at one of his brother’s game. He told me never come onto the field…ever. Just wait it out and know that he’ll ask for us if he needs us. We didn’t go to the field or the sideline. We let the coaches do their thing. I chatted with a friend while keeping a wary eye on B.

He never asked for us, but at halftime we made our way to the sideline. By then, his shoulder pads had been removed, and his tear-streaked face told us what we needed to know. There was no shaking off of this injury or stretches to alleviate the pain.

He injured his lower back during a tackle. He was suffering from shooting pain in his extremities and trouble lifting one of his legs without back pain. He couldn’t squat or bend over. The hardest thing I had to do was walk away. We had two other sons who had games of their own. I left B in the capable hands of his father with directions to call a local after-hour orthopedic clinic.

I’ve never received or sent so many text messages in such a short time. I was managing conversations between my husband and my parents and worried friends. The best was when B texted to say he was fine. Only then did I exhale. It truly was going to be alright.

X-rays showed no fracture, just a muscle contusion. Medication and rest should be a cure-all. His football season is over, which was hard for him to hear, and he can’t do any physical activity until he’s cleared at a follow-up visit. It could have been worse. I’m grateful for a specialized medical clinic with extended hours, concerned friends, a coaching staff that did all the right things, caring teammates and an activity director that took time to call later in the evening and check on B.

My love tank was filled with the texts and phone calls we received. It’s heartening to know others are thinking of you or just listening to you worry when things are not at their best. Now to convince the child that loves school that it really is acceptable to stay home tomorrow.

So, what do you think?

Welcome

Once upon a time, I earned a journalism degree and had a short career working for a newspaper. Then I married and decided my career would be raising our children. That’s where the story about me really begins...